I've got a new favorite Christmas cookie.... that happens to be vegan by my idol Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

I'm not a huge peppermint candy fan but it works here. I didn't have peppermint chocolate that the recipe calls for but I did get a gift of candy canes I crushed up in the food processor and had some Enjoy Life mega chunks in the cupboard. ​They are not overly sweet or minty, they are the perfect dark fudgy chocolate that I respect in a cookie!

In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and milk and mix gently; it might make the oil clump up and firm up a bit, but that's okay. Mix in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour along with the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Mix in the chocolate peppermint chunks and then the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it firms up. You might need to use your hands to get it fully incorporated.

Place twelve 1 1/2 tablespoon scoops of dough on each baking sheet, a few inches apart. Flatten slightly with your hand. Place a pinch of crushed candy cane in the center of each and press gently into the surface.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack to cool completely.

After settling back home after long travels through Asia I looked forward to coming home and cooking. My stomach being a little uneasy I was craving something beyond my toast and rice but not crazy enough to push me over the edge. Browsing ​one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, "The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook" by the post punk chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz I came across the perfect solution: Vegan biscuits and gravy. Generally, this isn't something I would gravitate too but it was perfect! The cashew gravy is rich, creamy and satisfying especially on top of a biscuit. Next time I'd add some fresh herbs in those biscuits as I'm not a big fan of plain biscuits.

In a small bowl mix together the apple cider vinegar and milk, set aside.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar into a large mixing bowl making a well in the center. Cut the coconut oil into the dough with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk mixture and blend with a fork, being careful not to overmix.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a 1" thick disc. Use a 2" round cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut out biscuits, adding them to a baking sheet.

Bake until puffy and golden brown, about 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Make the gravy. Combine the cashews and broth in a blender. Puree until completely smooth.

Preheat a sauce pot on medium. Add oil, then sprinkle in the flour, stirring until smooth and brown, about 5 minutes. Add blended mixture, lowering heat. Cook while stirring, about 3 minutes until thickened. Add salt and pepper, cook for 2 more minutes.

My first year entering the Dixie Classic fair didn't go so well. My Northern tastes didn't seem to fit in here in the South I realized after I entered several of my favorite recipes in many categories. The one and only winner I had was for a category that spoke to me... oh how I love trail mix and definitely love my jars! I have so many favorite trail mixes so it was tough to pick one! In the end I went with a new creation, using some of my favorite roasted nut recipes along with a new favorite candy I discovered at LGA airport of all places... chocolate covered freeze dried strawberries! I tried making them on my own but that didn't go well. Luckily I found some in the holiday section at Lidl.

I was inspired this spring when I had an excess of spinach to go through some old favorite cookbooks. This steady one is "The Whole Foods Market Cookbook". I got this years ago and it's good when you want to make something but don't know what.

I came across a quiche, which I have never made for some reason. I went for it but made my own butter crust, which I still need to practice my rolling skills! But the taste is worth the effort. It turned out so good I'm addicted to pie and quiches now! They are so fun and satisfying.

I like this quiche recipe with the addition of the milk it seems to lighten it up so it's not as dense as most versions. It's very versatile as my random one was also pretty tasty!

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, pepper and sage. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until the spinach is just wilted. Stir in the pine nuts.

3. In a small bowl, mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. In another bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on the piecrust. Top with half the spinach mixture. Place the potato slices on top of the spinach. Add half the remaining cheese mixture and then the remaining spinach mixture. Top with the rest of the cheese. Place the piepan on a sheet pan. Carefully pour in the milk mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting.

I feel in love with pupusas on my first trip to El Salvador. Those tasty cheesy corn cakes topped with that tart slaw was unlike anything else I've ever had! I looked forward to my trip there to eat more and got excited to find a Salvadorian restaurant that would serve 'em. Now I am dealing with an abundance of squash in the garden so I scanned my cookbooks for squash recipes and was thrilled to come across this. These little guys were easy to make. I shredded a block of smoked mozzarella one day, roasted a big batch of squash another day and whipped this up another time. I topped mine with sour cream and salsa! ​The leftovers were good as well. I did some topped with egg, another with vegan crumbles. They are a great vehicle for many toppings that kicked up the leftover game!

​1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and spoon out the seeds. Put the squash halves cut side down into a casserole dish, and bake them 40-50 minutes, until they are tender. Let them cool. Spoon out the flesh, and put it into a large bowl.2. Add the masa harina to the bowl of squash. Mix in the salt and pepper. Add the cheese, and mix well again. Add the water, and mix with one hand until the dough is smooth.3. On a lightly floured surface, for a 3" wide patty from a large spoonful of masa dough. Form seven more patties from the remaining dough. They will be rather soft and fragile.4. Place a large skillet over medium heat. When it is very hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Fry four of the pupusas for about 5 minutes per side, until they form a golden crust on both sides. Transfer them to a plate, and keep them warm in a slow oven. Heat the skillet again, add the remaining olive oil and fry the four remaining pupusas in the same manner. Serve the pupusas with dollops of sour cream, if you like and pass the hot sauce around the table.

]]>Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:51:38 GMThttp://tryintothrowyourarms.weebly.com/from-the-kitchen/shishito-peppersI feel in love with these peppers when spotted on a small plates menu at one of our favorite places... "really? peppers?" I asked the waiter skeptically. He explained "yes, they are amazing... not too spicy but once in a while you will get one with a kick." Alright I said and the rest is history. Immediately I was addicted and had so many small plates of these little peppers!

Fast forward a few years and another state later when filling up my new garden space my favorite heirloom plant grower was selling interesting pepper varieties, including Shishitos! I was so excited to have my own plant full of it and just as I forgot about it for a minute I was browsing one of my favorite garden summer time cookbooks and spotted this gem.

]]>Sun, 26 Feb 2017 20:06:17 GMThttp://tryintothrowyourarms.weebly.com/from-the-kitchen/crazy-burgers-fry-saltThis spice mix came into my life via Crazy Burger's Just Plain Nuts Burger. I loved the smell of it and these burgers were amazing so I've transferred this to where they belong, on fries and YES... best fries ever! I make my fries in my air fryer from the recipe in the book but after drying I season. Then season again before serving.

I love veggie burgers and trying new options, especially ones served at restaurants! This winner came from a now out of print magazine but has stood the test of time in my life. It's got a great nutty hearty flavor and that Fry Salt is a winner. It is the secret to my home made fries and it's been used way beyond potatoes as a general all purpose seasoning salt.

This gluten free patty at Crazy Burger Café & Juice Bar in Narragansett, RI is loaded with heart-healthy cashews and walnuts - both good sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fast as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Lentils add fiber, folate and iron.

1. To prepare lentils, simmer in 1 1/2 cups water for 20-25 minutes, until tender.

2. Sauté onion, celery and carrots in 1/8 cup canola oil, until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add zucchini toward the end. Season vegetable mixture lightly with some of the salt and pepper and place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Drain the lentils. Season lightly with some of the salt and pepper, and add to the vegetables.

4. Coarsely grind the roasted cashews and walnuts in a food processor and add to the mixing bowl.

5. Mix in all remaining ingredients until everything is incorporated evenly.

6. Form mixture into burger patties and arrange on a lined sheet pan. Bake 10 minutes at 500 F. (Alternatively patties can be pan-fried in a small amount of canola oil.) Serve open face on polenta with a side of sun-dried tomato-artichoke pesto.

I love a banana cake. It's a great use for the overripe bananas I put in the freezer that I don't want to go to waste. If you do end up using frozen bananas here thaw first and drain off any water. I used part fresh and part frozen with fine results.

This type of powdered sugar frosting is not my favorite but it's easy and does the job. I'm, taking suggestions for new frostings in my life. I usually love a Swiss Meringue but don't always love buying that much butter!

This cake is what I ended up using for my piecaken... more to come on that later!

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour 3 9" cake pans and set aside.

2. Mash the bananas and place in a measuring cup. Cream the butter and sugar together until well mixed. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla and mix well.

3. Divide evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool a few minutes and remove from pans. Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING5 cups powdered sugar1/2 cup cocoa powder1/2 cup butter, softened2-4 tablespoons brewed black coffee​Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl. Add the softened butter and mix on very low speed until they are incorporated. Add the coffee starting with 2 tablespoons and mix until it reaches your desired spreading consistency.​

​I ended up adding too much coffee and added Xanthan gum to thicken it back up. Again, I am not a fan of powdered sugar/random liquid based frostings!... help.

I love a good cockatil but sometimes I'm just too tired to mix up a bunch of stuff. Those kinds of days I turn to the good old Stirrings brand mixers I can pick up down the street at the Food Lion. Today I turned to Lemon Drop, cranberry juice and bourbon. Inspired by a Blizzard cocktail I replaced the lemon juice/sugar of tradition with the ease of the lemon drop martini mix. Lemon Drop Blizzard